As Economy Grows, So Do Cosmetic Surgery Salt Lake City

As economy grows, so does Cosmetic Surgery Salt Lake City

Even though the more than 13 million Cosmetic Surgery Salt Lake City performed in the United States during 2010 were up 5 percent from 2009, Stark County surgeons agreed with their colleagues’ observations nationwide that the economy had taken its toll.

Now, things slowly seem to be turning around.

On Aug. 16, Merrie Hamann arrived at Mercy Medical Center’s same-day surgery department, where Jackson Township plastic surgeon John J. Thottam corrected a drooping eyelid and removed a skin cancer from the bridge of her nose. As a treat to herself, she opted for a brow lift.

The surgery, she conceded three days post-op, left her looking like she’d been assaulted.

But she healed within weeks, and the former retail buyer for Liz Claiborne, who works part-time at Studio Arts & Glass, soon was back to yoga classes and golf.

“I can’t control my 401(k),” said Hamann, 74, “but this is something I could handle. I think it’s wonderful in today’s world. Probably in 10 years, you will be able to go in on your lunch hour and have it done.”

Both Thottam, who performed Hamann’s surgery, and Dr. Steven S. Carp, a plastic surgeon with an office in Green, say that local figures roughly reflect national statistics for both invasive and noninvasive Cosmetic Surgery Salt Lake City procedures.

“I see a lot of people who want to do something, but they don’t want to — or can’t — take a lot of time off work,” Thottam said.

“For them, the newest products, the fillers and Botox, are a temporary fix. There is very little down time, but you must remember they are never represented as anything but temporary. A face-lift will cost much more, and the recuperation will be longer, but so will the result.”

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In Carp’s practice, he said, he thinks people in the heartland generally are more conservative in their plans for staving off the aging process. Again, that is where Botox injections or dermal fillers have gained in popularity. Most are done on women, but interest among men has been piqued.

“For people who are employed, these options are good ones because, except for possibly a bit of swelling or bruising for a few days, there is nothing to keep them from their jobs. Plus, the result is pleasing,” Carp said. “Botox and fillers have changed many things. People who might never have considered Cosmetic Surgery Salt Lake City are making appointments for the injectables.”

Ophthalmologist Jamie Zucker performs blepharoplasties. He offers Botox and fillers in his Canton Ophthalmology Associates office, and the response has been excellent, he said.

“I think the economy has hurt guys doing bigger procedures like breast implants and full face-lifts,” Zucker commented. “Guys like me who are doing Botox or fillers, less expensive procedures, well, women and men will make that investment. We had a Botox party last year, and 40 people responded. The youngest was in her mid-30s, and the oldest was almost 80. Many had Juvederm (a procedure to smooth away wrinkles around the mouth and nose), too.”

He said only 10 percent of his Cosmetic Surgery Salt Lake City patients are male, and they most frequently ask for fillers.